Electronic medical records (EMR) can make it easier for doctors to access your medical treatment history. This means that your doctors can potentially offer better care and improve the lives of their patients. The information below explains how electronic medical records affect your medical treatment.
Easier Professional Communication
Electronic medical records enable better communication between different medical professionals at a single health care facility. Because complex medical procedures can require the collaboration of several experts over a period of time, these records can make it easier for medical professionals to work together.
Reduced Overall Costs
Electronic medical records can potentially make medical treatment more affordable, because doctors won't need to pay to store large amounts of information in the form of expensive paper documents if it is stored digitally. Rather, everything can be stored on one server that can be accessed by many health care professionals. These eliminated expenses may result in lower treatment expenses for patients.
Streamlined Processes
By storing patient information electronically, access to medical records can be streamlined. This can reduce hassles both for patients and for doctors, as information can be accessed quickly. Rapid access to this data could be very helpful in the event of a medical emergency in which time is crucial. Electronic access to this information can improve response times and possibly even save your life.
Security Risks
While electronic medical records are often seen as very beneficial, many uninformed patients are concerned about the dangers of having such sensitive information so readily available. In many cases, these concerns are unwarranted because the information is stored securely. Due to wide-reaching privacy laws, such as HIPPA, there are many rules in place that force medical professionals to keep their information secure. Because doctors don't want to lose their medical licenses, they generally are very careful to ensure that your information is protected.
Disreputable medical professionals, however, could still leave information vulnerable. As a result, patients should always ask their doctors how they protect their information to ensure that it is secure before allowing the doctor to access the information.
One of the most common data-protection strategies seen today is simply storing electronic medical records offline. This protects your information from hackers and prevents it from accidentally being shared throughout the medical community. Encryption is also widely employed to protect information both while it is being transmitted and while it is being stored. Medical professionals that implement these controls will be able to keep the records of their patients more secure. Therefore, you should always ensure that your doctors employ data-protection strategies to keep your information safe.
EMRs vs. Electronic Health Records
Although electronic medical records may sound similar to electronic health records, there is a major distinction. Electronic health records, or EHRs, record patients' comprehensive medical histories across a number of medical facilities, whereas electronic medical records only document patient care at a single facility.
